Loose leaf binder



United States Patent 2,725,881 LOOSE LEAF BINDER Sanford L. Goldman, Long Beach, N. Y. Application September 1, 1953, Serial No. 377,895 2 Claims. (Cl. 129-25) The present invention concerns an improved loose leaf binder which is artistic and highly attractive, inexpensive, and simple to construct and assemble. More particularly the invention is an improvement on the loose leaf binder described in my U. S. Patent 2,480,917.

In my foregoing patent, there is disclosed a loose leaf binder which makes use of a folded transparent flexible plastic sheet which is scored along the line of fold during the process of manufacture and which is permanently fastened by a grommet or fastener to the outer paper strip. Such a fastener requires the use of special machinery to score the transparent plastic sheet and skilled help to manufacture and assemble the folder.

The loose leaf binder of the present invention is an improved highly attractive binder which possesses the following advantages over the binder of the patent: (1) It eliminates the scoring and the fold in the transparent plastic sheet, hence eliminating the need for special machinery; (2) the construction enables the use of a lighter weight transparent front cover without sacrifice of ruggedness and resistance to wear and tear; (3) it can be assembled by unskilled help; and (4) it is cheaper to manufacture.

A detailed description of the invention will now be given in conjunction with drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the loose leaf binder of the invention as viewed from the external face of the front cover;

Fig. 2a is a perspective view of the folded strip located on the top of the side edge of the front cover, as seen from the inside of the folded strip with the folded parts separatde, the front and rear covers being removed;

Fig. 2b is a similar view of the strip of Fig. 2a with the folded parts in closer proximity to one another, to show how the bottom cut out strip (bottom when positioned on the finished loose leaf binder as seen in Fig. 1) covers the eyelet portions of the fasteners;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the front transparent flexible acetate cover sheet, as seen from either the front or rear faces thereof;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the rear paper cover as seen from the inner face thereof;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the loose leaf binder of Fig. 1 showing the edges of all three essential parts of the binder separated in the interest of clarity.

Throughout the figures of the drawings, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

Referring to the drawing in more detail, the loose leaf binder comprises a front cover 1 of a light weight transparent flexible plastic sheet of rectangular shape, a rear paper cover 2, and a folded paper strip 3.

The transparent light weight sheet may comprise cellophane or the like and have a thickness sufficient to provide adequate resistance to wear and tear. For example, the sheet thickness may be about $4 of an inch. The sheet has three spaced holes 4 punched through it near the left edge to permit the passage therethrough of the prongs 5 of the fasteners on the folded paper strip 3. As seen in Fig. 5, the front transparent cover 1 is sandwiched between the folded paper strip 3 and the rear paper cover 2. The papers or leaves to be held in the loose leaf binder are not shown but are adapted to be positioned between the front and rear covers.

The folded paper strip 3 is made of relatively stiff paper and has two flaps 7 and 8 on opposite sides of and integral with a central narrow strip portion 9. These flaps are formed by folding narrow rectangular sections of the strip 3 along the vertical fold lines F. The flaps 7 and 8 are substantially coextensive in dimensions with the central strip portion 9. Flap 7 is provided with three metallic fasteners 10 each having a round fastener head of the crimped edge type and a pair of prongs or legs for insertion into the holes 4 of the transparent front cover and holes 14 in the rear paper cover. These fasteners are well known and have heads in the form of rings with the upper and lower ends crimped over. The spaced holes 4 and 14 in the front and rear covers respectively are positioned to correspond with the positions of the prongs 5 and register therewith. The flap 8 has cut out portions 12 to permit the prongs 5 of the fasteners to pass therethrough for reception by the holes in the front and rear covers.

It should be noted that an edge of each cut out portion 12 covers the fastener head (note Fig. 2b) when the flaps of the folded strip 3 are in close proximity to each other, as is the case when the loose leaf binder is assembled. This covering of the fastener heads prevents possible damage to the punched holes 4 in the transparent front cover 1.

The rear cover is made of relatively stiff paper and has a narrow flap portion 13 at its left edge folded inwards along the vertical fold line F. The flap 13 is provided with three spaced metallic eyelets 14 in the form of metallic rings whose edges are crimped over. The positions of the eyelets register with the positions of the holes 4 in the front cover and fasteners 5 in the folded strip.

The manner of using the binder is apparent from the foregoing description. The edges of the leaves to be fastened between the front and rear covers 1 and 2 will be provided with spaced holes or apertures to receive the fastener legs or prongs. The leaves are then positioned in place against the inner face of the front cover 1. The front strip and the front cover, as seen in Fig. 1, is neat and attractive and shows no sign of the fastener construction.

What is claimed is:

l. A loose leaf binder comprising a transparent front plastic cover of rectangular configuration with holes punched along the left edge, a folded non-metallic strip having opposed flat narrow flaps integral with and secured along vertical fold lines to a relatively long central flat narrow portion of substantially the same width, one of said flaps having spaced fasteners along the length thereof corresponding in position with the position of the holes in said front transparent cover, each of said fasteners having a head and a pair of prongs, the other flap having spaced out out portions extending from the free edge thereof to enable passage of said prongs, said cut out portions being so shaped as to cover the heads of said fasteners when the flaps are in close proximity and under said central portion, said central narrow portion of said folded strip concealing said fasteners from view, and a rear rectangular-shaped cover having a flat narrow flap along the left edge folded inwards along a vertical fold line, said rear cover being substantially the same size as said transparent front plastic cover, said last flap having spaced eyelets registering with the holes in said front cover, the main body of said rear cover concealing said eyelets from view.

2. A loose leaf binder in accordance with claim 1, characterized in this, that said folded strip and said rear cover are made of relatively stifl". paper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

